1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an industrial truck with an electrical drive and a fuel cell system. The invention also relates to a method for the operation of an industrial truck with an electrical drive and a fuel cell system.
2. Technical Considerations
Industrial trucks are used for the internal transport of goods. That frequently means that industrial trucks must be used in enclosed buildings where emissions-free operation must be guaranteed. On industrial trucks that are primarily used indoors, electrical drives are most often used to achieve emissions-free operation. Batteries are most often used as the energy supply for the electrical drive system because they represent a reliable technology that is readily available. Fuel cells are being used with increasing frequency, however, in particular on account of their high efficiency. These fuel cells are generally operated with hydrogen, although the storage of hydrogen, both in fuel depots and on board vehicles, requires complex and expensive storage systems. Among other things, the refueling process for the fuel reservoirs of fuel cell vehicles is complex and expensive in terms of both the time required and the equipment that must be made available to produce or store hydrogen. With this system, the distributed supply of hydrogen fuel to a fleet of industrial trucks becomes particularly complicated and expensive, while a central refueling station, in particular in large plants, requires unnecessarily long travel distances and, thus, an additional reduction in efficiency in the operation of the trucks.
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide an industrial truck with an electrical drive and a fuel cell system in which the fuel supply can be replenished quickly and easily. It is also an object of the invention to provide a method for the operation of an industrial truck with an electrical drive and a fuel cell system in which the fuel supply can be replenished quickly and easily.